A selection of birthdays from the lives of Jeong-hyeok and Seri.
From memories of Switzerland, to married life and family birthdays, they explore aspects of their love and lives. Some happy, some poignant, each scene stands alone and further scenes...
A story of four Christmases in the lives of Seri and Jeong-hyeok
A Christmas that isn't Christmas
Seven years ago, Seri's Choice Offices, Seoul
"Why is someone else's birthday important? Let's be real. It's someone else's birthday.
So why would you go out of your way to decorate a tree? Why would you bother to write a card?
I mean, why would you give gifts? Is it their birthdays?
Isn't it ridiculous? Don't you think so?"
- Yoon Seri, episode 8
A North Korean Christmas
Six years ago, Jeong-hyeok's House, North Korea
He was still fast asleep, but his temperature seemed to have eased. Hopefully, once he woke, he would feel much better. He had been so reckless, coming to find her at Gu Seung-jun's house, when he should have been in hospital. But there he'd been, risking his health in the cold and throwing punches. It was Seung-jun's fault. He should have let her speak to him, then she could have reassured him she was safe. Seri was clearing some space in his living room for the small tree she'd found, but now she paused. Would she have been safe? Could she trust Seung-jun? Should she have stayed? But once Jeong-hyeok was there too, she knew she had to be with him. And he needed her. She would deal with Seung-jun later; for now, her choice was clear. They could decide what to do when he woke.
Besides, today was Christmas! She had found a small tree in the yard and brought it inside. A make-do Christmas tree, nothing like the fancy ones she could order in Seoul. But this one meant more than any tree she could ever remember. She searched around his book shelves looking for something she could use to decorate it. It would be fun to surprise him!
At last she found a few sheets of coloured paper and some card. These would do. First, she scrunched some sheets into rough balls and cut out a few shapes to hang from the branches. She stood back and evaluated what she'd done. The decorations might be home-spun, but that didn't mean she should relax her standards. What else could she do? She thought back to the crafts she had practised at school, and folded a star to rest near the top of the tree. Then she cut and glued strips to form a garland. Finally, a heart shape she filled with kisses, smiling at the thought of him seeing it. Would he smile too, or would the kisses fluster him, turning his ears red? Sometimes, when she teased or flirted with him, he looked so bashful. She found it so endearing, the tall, handsome Captain, confused and embarrassed. But secretly pleased, she was sure.
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If only they could continue this! She would love him to kiss her again. To hold her in his arms, run his fingers through her hair and press his lips against hers. The feel of his broad chest and shoulders as she wrapped her arms around him, keeping him close. His hug made her feel more cared for, more wanted, than she had ever been in her life. How was it possible that this man meant so much? Pushing those thoughts aside, she hung the last garland on the tree and stood back to admire her work, and adjusted a couple of decorations. There, she had finished. A tree to surprise him, a few moments of joy.
